Usefulness: June 12, 2015

TODAY’S WORD FOR FRIDAY JUNE 12, 2015.

USEFULNESS

DEFINITION:

Having a practical function, purpose or effect; worthwhile; helpful and serving some purpose; productive.

SCRIPTURE:

And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said, the Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor. Judges 6:12.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

In this passage of scripture (Judges 6), the angel of the Lord called Gideon a mighty man of valor and then told him to deliver Israel out of the hand of Median.

The definition of valor used in this verse is boldness or determination to face great danger in a battle with courage and bravery. Gideon did not feel he was a man of valor. He responded to God by reminding Him that his family was poor and he was the least in his father’s house. His families, along with the other Israelites, were being oppressed by the Midianites who far out-numbered them. The Midianites destroyed their crops and their cattle and kept the Israelites, including the family of Gideon living in fear and poverty. The Israelites certainly did not feel they could be useful.

The Midianites were so strong and so oppressive that the Israelites had to hide out in mountain cliffs. It is no wonder that Gideon was fearful and felt inadequate and useless. As he began to realize that maybe God was really calling him for this task, he then asked God for signs to confirm God’s will and empowerment. Gideon received the signs and soon put his full trust in God and was given the victory that God had promised him.

The account of how God used Gideon and an army of only 300 men with a victory over a vast army is given to us in Judges Chapter 7. Gideon and his small army could never have defeated the Midianites in their own strength. Because of Gideon’s obedience to God, God caused the Midianites to turn on each other. In a miraculous victory, God demonstrated to Israel that victory depends not on strength or numbers, but on obedience and commitment to the Lord.

Just like Gideon we most often doubt our abilities and seem to ignore our potential. We look at projects that confront us from our point of view and seemingly forget what God can do through us. When you question your usefulness, never doubt what God can do through you. Gideon’s God is the same God we serve today. In God’s sight we are all useful to Him if we are willing to obey and submit to His will.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Psalm 23:1.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

PRAYER:

Thank You Lord, that You can make me useful in all that I do for You if I put my complete trust in You. Help me to submit all that I have to You and then resist the devil in all that I attempt to do for You.

Special Price
Only $10.00
Click Here for More

ONE FINAL SUGGESTION.

If you have not received your FREE BOOKMARK from us, please click on either:

Get your FREE bookmark

or

Write Ken and Dottie a note

And we will send one to you. It includes 10 golden rules for a happy family.

Tears: June 11, 2015

TODAY’S WORD FOR THURSDAY JUNE 11, 2015.

TEARS

DEFINITION:

Drops of the saline watery fluid secreted in the eyes and flowing from the eyes as a result of emotion.

SCRIPTURE:

Jesus wept. John 11:35.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Have you ever laughed so hard you cried? Most of us have experienced that strange crossover from laughing one moment to crying the next moment. It is an amazing fact of life that the emotions of both sorrow and joy can bring us to tears. Tears bring physical relief from pent up emotion.

Humor is an integral part of almost every culture. Yes, that is because we were created in God’s image. We can see God’s humor on display in this world He created. Have you ever gone to the zoo and found yourself laughing as you watched the monkeys? Jesus used humor in His stories and communication to individuals and to the masses to make a point. For example, to show us our hypocrisy in criticizing others he said, “Why do you see the speck that is in your brothers eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye.”

Jesus had a wonderful sense of humor but He also knew the pain of grief. When His friend Lazarus died, Jesus saw Mary weeping and the scripture says in John 11:33-35 that “He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.” A short time later He began to weep. Examples like this that we run across in the scriptures remind us that we are made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26) and therefore will have similar emotional reactions.

Our ability to express our emotions with tears is a gift from God. God knows all about us and He knows our every sorrow. God keeps track of every tear we cry. Psalm 56:8 reads, “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears and have recorded each one in Your book.”

But the good news is that as God promised in Revelation 7:17 says He will wipe away every tear. In heaven there will be no more tears. All our trials, all our tribulations, and all our suffering will be over and left behind. When we get to heaven what a day of rejoicing that will be!

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Psalm 23:1.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, You have made us to laugh, to cry, to yearn, to love and to miss those who have gone before us. Help us to love even more deeply because of the love You have shown for us. Thank You that You know every tear we shed and will one day wipe all remembrance of them away.

Special Price
Only $10.00
Click Here for More

ONE FINAL SUGGESTION.

If you have not received your FREE BOOKMARK from us, please click on either:

Get your FREE bookmark

or

Write Ken and Dottie a note

And we will send one to you. It includes 10 golden rules for a happy family.

Focus: June 10, 2015

TODAY’S WORD FOR WEDNESDAY JUNE 10, 2015.

FOCUS

DEFINITION:

Central point of attraction, attention, or activity; to concentrate or to focus one’s thoughts.

SCRIPTURE:

Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

As you walk through the activities of your day where and what do you spend the most time focusing on? Most people will focus on things that will benefit themselves.

Watching a Christian talk show on television the other night a woman stated that she was helping a neighbor who was facing difficulties in her life. She stated that this neighbor was her disciple.

We thought further on this thought and realized that as followers of Christ we all have the responsibility of making disciples by sharing the good news of the gospel and helping others to grow spiritually. But observing most believers we see that it is much easier to focus on your own concerns rather on sharing Christ with a neighbor.

In I Corinthians chapter 16, the Apostle Paul was concerned that the Corinthian church was losing its focus on Christ. The church was divided on which of the two best known preachers, Paul or Apollos, they should follow. As Paul wrote, they were focusing on a man and not on their Savior. Paul corrected them by telling them that they were God’s fellow workers. It does not matter who plants and who waters because only God can give the growth.

We are told in Hebrews (the above verse) to focus on the author and the finisher of our faith. Christ will be honored when we focus on Him. He is superior to any human being and He alone is able to meet all of our needs. If we focus on Him each and every day He will bring into focus what is important in our lives.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Psalm 23:1.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

PRAYER:

Help me daily not to shift my focus from You to less important things in my life. Put people in my life that will help point me to You. Help me to point people to You in a way that makes You more and me less.

Special Price
Only $10.00
Click Here for More

ONE FINAL SUGGESTION.

If you have not received your FREE BOOKMARK from us, please click on either:

Get your FREE bookmark

or

Write Ken and Dottie a note

And we will send one to you. It includes 10 golden rules for a happy family.

Praise: June 9, 2015

TODAY’S WORD FOR TUESDAY JUNE 9, 2015.

PRAISE

DEFINITION:

To give honor to; the act of expressing approval or admiration; commendation; grateful homage in words or songs as an act of worship.

SCRIPTURE:

And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who would sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of His holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever.
II Chronicles 20:21.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Some of you may remember the news story from some years ago about little Willie Myrick who was kidnapped form his driveway. For hours, he travelled in a car with his kidnapper, not knowing what would happen to him.

During that time, Willie decided to sing a song he had learned called “Every Praise’. As he repeatedly sang the words, his abductor used profanity and told him to shut up but Willie continued to sing about praising Jesus. Finally the abductor slammed on the brakes, stopped the car and told Willie to get out -- unharmed.

As Willie demonstrated in his time of crises truly praising the Lord requires us to concentrate on God’s character while forsaking what we fear, what is wrong in our lives, or the self-sufficiently of what is in our heart.

The Israelites were at this place when they found themselves hopelessly outnumbered by a vast army of enemy nations coming to attack them. King Jehoshaphat cried out to God as recorded in II Chronicles 20:12 that he did not know what to do. He did know WHO to turn to. He called the people together to the temple courtyard to pray and ask God to save them.

God’s reply was that they need not be afraid for the battle was not theirs but Gods. They would not even have to fight. The response of the people was that they fell down and worshipped God and praised Him. As they prepared for battle, King Jehoshaphat was led by God to organize a choir to march out in front of their army. The choir sang these words from the verse above: “Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever.”

When the music started God confused the enemy army and they destroyed each other. When Jehoshaphat and his army arrived at the battle site, the opposing armies lay dead on the ground and not one escaped. As the prophet Jahaziel had predicted in verse 17, Israel did not need to fight because the Lord would take command.

Whether we face an inward battle or we feel trapped in something wrong in our lives or whatever attack we are under, we should give the battle to the Lord. With God as our defender we can glorify God and start singing praises to Him for He is great and greatly to be praised (Psalm 96:4).

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Psalm 23:1.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

PRAYER:

Dear God, You are Holy and good. I worship You today and sing praises to Your name. Let my soul rejoice in Your goodness and glory.

Special Price
Only $10.00
Click Here for More

ONE FINAL SUGGESTION.

If you have not received your FREE BOOKMARK from us, please click on either:

Get your FREE bookmark

or

Write Ken and Dottie a note

And we will send one to you. It includes 10 golden rules for a happy family.

Correcting: June 8, 2016

TODAY’S WORD FOR MONDAY JUNE 8, 2015.

CORRECTING

DEFINITION:

Something given, done, or proposed as a substitute for what is wrong or inaccurate; to set right with remedies, revisions, or reforms.

SCRIPTURE:

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long suffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another, even as Christ forgave you, so you must also do. Colossians 3:12-13.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

A few nights ago we were watching a Christian program on television. The pastor told a story of an experience he had leading a tour of his friends to see missions in action in Kenya. We listened carefully because as the old saying goes, “We have been there and done it”.

The pastor related that at the end of the conference which was held just outside of Nairobi, the group packed up in the guest house were they had stayed for three nights and headed for a location near the Nairobi airport where they were leaving from early the next morning.

When the group arrived at their location next to the airport, one person in the group reported that she had forgotten her luggage back at the conference center. After she left to retrieve her luggage, the pastor who was always meticulous about every detail, showed he was human and criticized her sharply.

Our thinking at this point of the story was that we as believers need to know how to correct gently. The verses we put above gives us a good guideline on CORRECTING!

But there is more to this story. The next morning when the group arrived at the airport, the pastor discovered at his dismay that he too had left his luggage behind. It and his passport were back at the location that they had just left. Because of the shortness of time it was quite costly for someone to race back at get his suitcase.

The pastor soon realized that he had criticized one of the ladies quite harshly and took the time to apologize to the whole group. His last words to the group were, “I have learned my lesson and will never criticize so harshly again.

We all have faults and weaknesses and we should learn to bear with one another and forgive each other when things go wrong. We need to be constructive in our criticism and criticize with compassion, love, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. These are the keys to effective relationships and when we criticize in this manner we become imitators of our Lord Jesus Christ.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Psalm 23:1.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

PRAYER:

Dear God, You know that there are times when we just do not feel patient and humble and gentle. Help me in those times to be reminded of Your kindness, patience and love for and with me. When I am tempted to complain about others bring to my remembrance how much You have forgiven me and help me do what You would have me do.

Special Price
Only $10.00
Click Here for More

ONE FINAL SUGGESTION.

If you have not received your FREE BOOKMARK from us, please click on either:

Get your FREE bookmark

or

Write Ken and Dottie a note

And we will send one to you. It includes 10 golden rules for a happy family.